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Monday, September 27, 2010

It has been raining since noon here in Missouri's wine country. Great for all the grape crops but not having the best effect on the achy joints of this old gal with fibromyalgia.

Perhaps, the Old Salt and I overdid it with the mad dash we made all around the state of Oklahoma this weekend combined with the stress of attending my cousin's funeral. Today we feel as if we need someone to insert a key and rewind our energy motor. The Old Salt has slipped back into bed for a nap and I have been staring at a blank computer screen for some time now. Just can't find the steam to complete anything today.

Plus, that old movie projector in my head has been flashing 1940's type newsreel clips on my eyelids, disjoined snippets of my childhood, images of long lost friends, but, mostly replays of the ways the word has changed over my lifetime. Perhaps it is just all the surreal activities of the last few weeks that has my head in a tailspin. Then again, I could actually be losing my senses, but it seems there is no good news lately.

Living in a small town has lots of good things going for it. This is a sleepy community where many people still do not lock their doors and where crime is the occasional cat in a tree or some elderly person scared by an unlatched shed door banging in the wind. You will see kids walking home from the high school dressed in the latest goth, hip hop or big city fads but they are the same kids who sing in the church choir or mow the grass for their disabled neighbor.

But, somehow recently this town has slipped into the middle of a Alfred Hickcock drama. Early one Sunday morning recently, my nephew, who is one of our towns finest law enforcement officers, was returning to the station house at the end of a long night shift; when two young boys ran across the street in front of him loaded down with a variety of objects. The younger of the two realizing the vehicle was a squad car, dropped his load in the street, and took off in a mad run across the field that runs directly behind our condo. My nephew soon scooped up the six year old boy in his arm and within a few more minutes had run down the older child (who turned out to be seven) and had him under the other arm. And, thus was solved ten burglaries in our town, with all the missing loot found hidden under the children's beds and the parents oblivious to their crime spree. Turns out the seven year old boy planned the heists and enlisted the help of his six year old friend. He told the police that he chose early Sunday when their parents were sleeping late and half the town was in church to sneak into the mostly unlocked homes over a period of months. The boy admitted to getting the idea from a movie he saw. When asked what they were going to do with the merchandise, the boy stated he was going to wait for a cooling off period and then take the items to a pawn shop.

In another recent event, a seventh grade student at my grandson's school, convinced one of his classmates to distract an eight grade student while he snuck up behind him on the street after school and clobbered him over the head with a crow bar he had kept hidden in his backpack all day. I still have not heard what his reason for the assault was.

But, I digress. My intention was to relay that even though I had plans to post to Mellow Yellow, Ruby Tuesday and a few other memes this week, I think I am going to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head and sleep. Perhaps, when I awake I will no long feel as if I need someone to come insert that large key and wind me up again.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Welcome everyone to this week's edition of Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

I am scheduling this to auto post because I will be out of town this weekend. I hope that blogger does not disappoint and you will actually be reading this on time. I had a different post in mind for this week, but, decided to save it for another week. Instead, I reached back into my archives for this lovely pink rose.

I'm in a very melancholy mood just now. I am leaving in the morning to travel to the funeral of one of my cousins. The first, of those in my generation of friends and playmates to leave us as part of the natural order of aging. This death was no surprise, he had been ill for some time. But, I have to admit that I was not prepared for all the different emotions and memories that keep sweeping over me. And, I would be lying if I did not admit that mixed up in this jumble of emotional laundry tumbling in the dryer window of my head is the knowledge of the few short years that separated our age.

Big G" this rose is in memory of you.

I Love you more.

To join in the fun or just visit the pink post of others visit Beverly and her friends at Pink Saturday.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

My color carnival photo this week is from the rainy day parade we attended last July fourth in Omaha. I posted more of the "Rainy day Parade" series on this week's Ruby Tuesday. Those photos can be seen in the post below this one.

This gentleman was decked out in his patriotic best pushing a very decorated stroller and marching with his grandchildren. All in keeping with the theme of the neighborhood's holiday parade. But, thanks to the rain, he was also carrying a color carnival appropriate umbrella to shield himself from the downpour.

To join the fun or to check out all the colorful entries of other players, visit Maria and her friends at Color Carnival.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Since I was missing from blogdom the entire summer I am going to use this week's memes devoted to the color red to kill two birds, so to speak. It will allow me a catch everyone up on one of my favorite summer activities while showing off some of my photos containing red.

Now I readily admit that I am not a world traveler. But, thanks to the US Navy the Old Salt is. So I was surprised to learn that I could actually take him to see something better than the others he has seen. Apparently, spending the fourth of July in Omaha dose just that. The Old Salt has been happily telling everyone that Omaha does the fourth better than anyone else in the world.

This past July was our third trip together, to celebrate both our nation's birthday and my birthday, in Omaha with my sister who shares the same birthday. This year's fourth started out dark, dank and very wet, but all that rain did not put a gloom over the annual neighborhood parade in which my BIL served as Grand Marshall on his patriotic bicycle. My sister, Veda, was even able to maintain her smile dispite the fact that her tiny red and white umbrella did not keep her sparkling striped dress dry. Even the family dog joined my nieces on the march up and down the neighborhood street as all the other families came out to march and play in the rain.

Fortunately, by midday the sun was shining and block parties were spilling into the streets that would be littered with the trash left behind as one block after another tried to out shine the others with their firework displays.

Tuesday is the day that Mary at "Work of the Poet" hosts Ruby Tuesday. Rednesday is a Wednesday meme hosted by Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World." Both memes are dedicated to the color red. To join the fun or just check out what Red others are excited to share visit Mary and her friends at Ruby Tuesday and Sue and her friends from Rednesday

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Welcome everyone to this week's edition of Pink Saturday, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. I have been on an extended sabbatical from posting so its been a while since I joined all of you here at Pink Saturday.

Normally, I never go anywhere without my camera. You just never know what photo ops will happen. But, for many reasons, my camera has seldom been out of its case this summer. So naturally, one very rainy day last week I was without it when I passed a young lady coming out of the market as I was going in. Her outfit started yelling "Pink Saturday" at me and I had to turn around and stop her. After explaining that I loved her outfit and why, I asked her if she would meet me later in the day so I could take her picture. After comparing schedules she offered to sit down on the bench just inside the store and wait for me to run home for my camera.

Well, I flew home and back to find she had actually waited and I'm sure she is still telling her friends about this crazy lady who thought the outfit in the following photographs was blog worthy.

To join in the fun or just visit the pink post of others visit Beverly and her friends at Pink Saturday.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Between burnout and a crazy schedule this summer I have been on an extended sabbatical from blogging, but, I am finally back. What a surprise to find that so many changes have been taking place here at Color Carnival. I have to admit I love colorful things and this meme has always been one of my favorites.

It's nice to be back and I have something special for you this week. A few weeks ago we had to make a trip to the air force base in Illinois so the "Old Salt" could get a new military ID card. His recent birthday had caused his old one to expire. On the trip home I happened to notice this very colorful bus up ahead on the freeway and grabbed my camera and snapped this first shot.

The Old Salt was driving and managed to pass the bus so I could get this side shot.

We had no idea what this Bubble Bus was all about but I figured there had to be a story about it somewhere, and Google did not disappoint me when I got home.

Seems we have a new business in the St. Louis area that provides all types of bubble shows for a wide variety of customers. Even one of the groups that made the final four on America's got talent used these blacklight bubbles in their act.

To find out more about the Bubble Bus check out this video I found on the website for fox news channel two in St. Louis. http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/timezell/ktvi-bubble-bus-050610,0,5325864.story

To join the fun or to check out all the colorful entries of other players, visit Maria and her friends at Color Carnival.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The calendar hanging over my monitor tells me that summer will end in just nine short days. Actually, I can’t remember summer ever arriving. The last time I felt comfortable taking part of my day to sit down and write a post, or spend time browsing the blogs of all my friends and followers was early spring.

As I wrote in previous post, my life has been a bit hectic this summer. My camera seldom made it out of its case. But, hopefully, the pace will soon slow down. The last of my major projects is almost done.

What have I been up to for the last five months? How do you relay in a few short paragraphs the events of months? Should I just make a list that includes how many outfits I have had to pitch because of stains, carloads of potting soil hauled, rooms painted, parties planned, miles traveled; graduation, first communion and birthday parties attended?

Or just tell you about the big time consuming things like: How I gave The Old Salt and my daughter Carrie a combined summer birthday party because both had milestone birthdays in August.

You may remember that last year, I jumped in at the last minute, to replace my sister as chairperson for our family reunion. Well, that led to my taking on the job again this year. Which happened to be the 100th anniversary of the wedding of my grandparents, making this our centennial year as a family. So naturally, it required that we have a few more bells and whistles than on normal years. That grand event took place last weekend and now I just have some loose ends to tidy up, like ordering and shipping commemorative tee shirts and finding someone to take over for next year.I have always heard that events come in threes and that was certainly true this summer with three each of funerals, births and weddings in our extended family. The cycle of life was well represented in my family. In between all of these activities and events the Old Salt and I made two trips out of town, one to attend my mothers 85th birthday party and another to celebrate my birthday with one of my sisters who shares the same birth date.

I even got to attended my first Cardinal ball game in our new stadium. Which would not be a big deal except for the fact that the last time I attended a ball game was two stadiums ago.We tried to take the barren yard that came with our new condo and turn it into some sort of colorful and flowering masterpiece. I’m still kicking myself that I did not get around to taking any photos.

I became friends with the young family that used to live a few doors down and have adopted them into my life. So, I have been enjoying playing grandma to their children and helping refurbish the old house they found this summer.It is getting late so I have to run. I will try to post more details and catch-ups over the next few months. But, first the Old Salt and I are going to take a well earned vacation next week. Then I will get back on track and once again join all of you in Blogland. But, to narrow the time before I return I have scheduled a post for this Saturdays “Pink Saturday” so come by and check it out.

Check Out My Photo Blog

This site is more about the story that goes with the photo. On Cashjocky's Photo's the photo will be the story. I will try to post at least one photo a day. When my fingers connect with a camera or keyboard you never know that they will create.

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Hats on Parade

I've posted several times about my dislike of baseball caps and my love of a man in a great hat. But, what is cuter than a child in a hat or funnier than some of the party hats folks come up with. Nothing says more about a persons work, hobbies or concern for safety than the hat they wear. This slideshow features some of the hat photos I have collected. If you would like to be included in my hat parade just e-mail me a photo of you in a great hat.

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Hit Parade of Beards

Any man can grow a beard, but, it takes a very special kind of man to carry off wearing a beard with class or style. Here are a few of the beards I have captured and I will leave it to you to decide whether or not these gentleman got it right or should head to the nearest barber for a shave.

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Copyright 2005, 2012 R M Stebbing

This blog is the exclusive property of R M Burleson Stebbing and is protected under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and all applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The content of this blog may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without the express consent of its author, RM Burleson Stebbing. All Rights Reserved.